1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dental implements and more particularly, to a denture grinding instrument which may be used by the wearer on an emergency basis to grind away a part of a denture which is causing pain.
2. Prior Art
It is well-known, particularly by the wearers of dentures, that it is often necessary to adjust the fit of dentures to the gums. Of course, the vast majority of denture wearers do not have the skill or training required to properly adjust their dentures for changing gum conditions. Accordingly, it is always best for a denture wearer in need of adjustment to his or her dentures to return to the dentist's office to permit the expert to make any required adjustments. However, it is not always convenient to do so immediately upon the need arising. As a result, it is often necessary for denture wearers to experience a great deal of pain caused by their dentures or to forego the use of their dentures entirely until they have an opportunity to have an adjustment made by the expert.
The present invention consists of a home care denture grinding instrument that comprises part of an emergency denture adjustment kit. Thus the present invention, particularly when used with the aforementioned kit, provides denture wearers the opportunity to adjust their dentures under emergency conditions on an interim basis before they have the opportunity to have their dentures adjusted professionally. There are a number of prior art denture-related tools which proport to give the wearer the opportunity to make such adjustments. By way of example, the applicant is aware of the following four relevant patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,256, Fontana PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,440, Fontana PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,826, Huey et al PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,381, Westman
Irrespective of efficacy of each tool for the purpose intended, the relative disadvantage of each such tool with respect to the present invention is that each requires a fairly complex and costly manufacturing process which renders each such tool virtually as expensive as any specialized denture tool would normally be and such expense defeats the very purpose for which the tools are intended. As a result, many denture wearers tend to make emergency denture adjustments using a variety of tools which are not proper for the work to be done, such as nail files, screwdrivers, table knives and the like.
More specifically, each of the aforementioned tools includes one or more specially designed tips made integral with a special handle particularly designed for that tool. The comparative size, shape and structure of the prior art tools are therefore factors which not only increase the cost to the ultimate consumer, but which also affect the packaging requirements for the sale of the kits. Such packaging requirements also tend to increase the cost which denture wearers have to pay to possess a handy means for adjusting their dentures in emergency situations.